LOL - I have been doing my studying all season and doing really well. I started out with $200 back in August and parlayed it into over $1400...I am certainly not some big roller, but that's not a bad return. If I could afford more, I would certainly bet more.

So lately I've found some really obscure games to bet on. The fact is, these games are just as important for betting as the major and well-known games...

I won a boatload of money on a parlay when College of Charleston went into Boone, NC to take down Appalachian State. The stats were there...the Mountaineers are awful on defense and the scoring was up there.

That's disturbing, but I also once bet on a Duquesne-Robert Morris game - and I called my bookie on Christmas to bet the Blue-Gray game once, too.

I am betting on a more conventional game tonight and hoping for the best...Oklahoma -1 at Texas. Please, for the love of god, let that work out. I am still smarting from a charge call late in NO-LAL last night which gave Derek Fisher the opportunity to tie the game with a 3 and force overtime, screwing my under call.

Anyway, my friends make fun of me and say I should join GA...I shoot back with my favorite quote:

It's no surprise that there is rampant talk about LeBron James leaving Cleveland when his contract is up and he is able to test the free agent waters. While many Cleveland fans such as myself wonder how much is enough money, as he is certainly comfortable for the rest of his life, I guess he would like to be on the big stage like New York or Brooklyn, should the Nets finally end up moving from New Jersey. Jay-Z, glitz, even more fame, etc. How much is enough? We'll never know, but he must feel there is something a little more that he cannot get making his living in the rust belt.

It's a shame, too. LeBron is the best chance for the sleepy, bankrupt city of Cleveland,which once had the river catch fire, to get a championship in sports. The town would go wild. While basketball is not my favorite sport, there are many who are drawn to the arena each night knowing this could be it. The Cavaliers are not the favorite in the East, as the Boston Celtics are the champs and the best team until someone beats them. The Orlando Magic might even be a little more rounded of a team with the addition of Rafer Alston to an already talented bunch. Only time will tell.

Anyway, LeBron had 47 points after three quarters in Milwaukee and instead of all of the doom and gloom, Cleveland sports fans simply need to live in the present and enjoy what we're seeing. LeBron is perhaps the only superstar in Cleveland sports history. Sure, there has been Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, Bernie Kosar, etc. in the past, but perhaps no one has been bigger than LeBron since maybe Jim Brown. That's saying something...

So enjoy him now. Because he might leave...he might not...but we'll see. For now, enjoy it and let's see if winning a championship this year changes his tune and makes him want to stay. That might be the only thing that prevents him from moving on.

So a few hours have passed now and I have spackled all of the holes I made punching the drywall in my living room.

The game didn't start off so hot at first, especially when my girlfriend Tonya comes out wearing a green t-shirt, totally oblivious to the fact the Cavaliers were playing the Celtics. I made her march into the bedroom and change into something neutral.

The game got off to a terrible start, as the basket the Cavaliers were shooting at in the first quarter looked like it had a lid on it. Somewhere, Tim Donaghy was smiling. Because he is Irish and likes the Celtics...what were you thinking?

It was a tremendous battle between Paul Pierce and the C's and LeBron James and the Cavaliers. After watching this game, there should be a re-vote for NBA MVP. If you take Kevin Garnett off of the Celtics, they are still a decent team. You take Kobe off of the Lakers, especially after they acquired Pau Gasol, and they are still a solid club. Take Steve Nash off of the Suns and they still make the playoffs. If you took LeBron off of the Cavaliers, they're a lottery team. There is no more valuable player to his team, as the Cavs have a poor supporting cast.

Pierce could not miss. Several times I wished for him to stay down and hoped he would leave the game injured. He killed the Cavs. I also wished several crippling injuries on the officiating crew, including a stabbing in an alley and for the head ref to get caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting.

To be honest I am not the biggest basketball fan in the world. But I want to see my hometown of Cleveland do well. In something. Anything...

It is 44 years and counting since the last major championship in any sport. The Cavs made the NBA Finals last year which was nice...now, if they hope to get back again - and keep LeBron happy - they are going to have to get some sort of a second scoring option that is better than Delonte West and Daniel Gibson. Speaking of the latter, he was out with a separated shoulder and the club still came close.

The Cavaliers never could get over the hump - they threatened several times and one of the keys down the stretch was when Damon Jones missed a wide-open three and the Cavs couldn't hit key free throws. They never led once, although they did get within one in the last two minutes.

So close, but it wasn't meant to be. Congrats to the Celtics - and I truly do hope they beat the Pistons. I hate them. Give the people what they want...Celtics v. Lakers. It will make me feel like I am back in elementary school, too. Well, except for the part where I am drinking and watching the game at the sports bar and gambling on the games...

ast night at the Bank Atlantic Office Depot National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Fla., I was treated to a rare occasion. The Northwest Division leading Minnesota Wild were in town for a date against the Florida Panthers. The Wild came in with five straight wins against the Panthers and were 5-1-1 all-time in the series.

Anyway, it was rather surprising to me to see all of the Wild sweaters bouncing around the building. I thought for sure that they would be rather scant, with perhaps occasional North Stars colors popping up here or there. Sure enough, Minnesota fans were rocking their colors and I saw quite a bit of the sweater which is starting to grow on me.

I like the brand of hockey that the Wild employ. In addition, it was nice to see knowledgeable fans who sit and actually watch the action, not needing endless other diversionary antics to keep them into the game. Plus, they have some skillful players too, from Marian Gaborik to Pavol Demitra to Niklas, don't spell my name Nicklas, Backstrom. He is a quality backstop. Unfortunately, Derek Boogaard was out with a back injury. He is one of my favorite players in the league. The teams also got to see Olli Jokinen and Pierre-Marc Bouchard skate against each other, two names bandied about at the trade deadline who might have been wearing the opposing sweater.

All in all, it was an enjoyable night. It was my second straight Panthers game and a similar fate - a one-goal loss. It seems that the Panthers have been just a little short, as they try to avoid missing the playoffs for the 12th time in the past 15 years. Meanwhile, the Wild picked up their 77th point to get to the top of the Northwest Division.

I wish that the unbalanced schedule would be done away with so I can see the likes of the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, etc. on a more regular basis. Hell, I even went to see the Los Angeles Kings last time they were in town.

Don't penalize me because I live in Florida. Trust me, no offense to the Atlanta Thrashers or Carolina Hurricanes, but it gets boring seeing those teams come in all the time.

Well, I have been a Toronto Maple Leafs fan since I was little. There is just something about the city and the team. When I visited Toronto, I fell in love. I grew up in Cleveland and we lost our hockey team in the late 1970's, so I was basically a free agent. I cheered for the Edmonton Oilers initially, as anyone growing up and watching Wayne Gretzky was really in for a treat. However, I remember being 15 and having two teams...I was on vacation in Seattle with my parents and the Los Angeles Kings acquired Gretzky in a mammoth trade and the days of my Oilers cheering was over. I was then a Maple Leafs fan through and through, 20 years ago this year. How time flies...

Anyway, I've been a big fan of captain Mats Sundin, No. 13. He has been a fantastic player since his acquisition from the Quebec Nordiques back on June 28, 1994. People forget, we got Sundin AND Todd Warriner and Garth Butcher - lol. However, the price tag was simply Wendel Clark, who returned later, Sylvain Lefebvre and Landon Wilson. There was also a swap of first-round picks. In any event, not a bad deal for 14 years of devoted service from Captain Clutch.

Sundin has more goals than any other Maple Leafs player, passing Darryl Sittler for the franchise lead in just the second game this season. On Nov. 27, he potted his 400th goal with the Leafs, a record that might never be broken again.

The Big Swede has managed 548 goals and 1,305 points in 1,294 NHL games in 17 seasons, 13 with the Leafs. Now, it appears as the floundering Maple Leafs are in the basement of the Northeast Division and getting older by the minute, Mats Sundin has played his final game in the mighty blue and white.

It looks like No. 13 is going to be moved to a team out west, perhaps the Anaheim Ducks or San Jose Sharks. I've heard rumors of Bobby Ryan, a huge prospect, being included in the deal. The Leafs really do need to get younger. However, when I am not watching the Leafs in the playoffs, as there is virtually no chance they can qualify, I will still be cheering. Cheering for Sundin, hoping he can finally find that elusive Stanley Cup, even if it is in another NHL city.

I forget what rap song I've stolen that from...if anyone knows, clue me in. Anyway, enough about rap. That music is like kryptonite to the hockey fan and I guess that's what I am tonight. I recently grabbed superstar status from my favorite sports site, CBSSports.com, which I used to visit a lot more frequently in the past.

I glogged portions of the second period of the St. Louis-Los Angeles game tonight, mainly to prove a point. I haven't watched hockey since Oct. 26, although I did go to one game in person thanks to a former co-worker who will remain nameless. He couldn't use two tickets he had acquired, so I gladly accepted and watched a Buffalo-Florida game which was very entertaining.

However, I've been a big NBA fan lately. I've been to games in New Orleans and Miami and plan to visit the American Airlines Arena on March 7 when B-Diddy, Baron Davis for people who are not street like me, and the Golden State Warriors pay a visit.

Also in the cards, I am going to the Sweet 16/Elite 8 matchups at Ford Field in Detroit and Darlington in May. You can take certain things away from me, but I'll find a way. Some people understand what that means, some might not. However, it is great being a sports fan again and enjoying life. I forget how much I missed it after taking some time off.

I am thankful I am a superstar, too - lol. Hopefully there is more to come.

The Daytona 500 kicked off the 2008 Sprint Cup series this past Sunday and naturally I watched. Despite the fact I am not a huge NASCAR fan - or really just a marginal fan - I have not missed the Great American Race for some time now.

What is odd about Daytona, it is sort of the Super Bowl of stock car racing and it is the first race of the season. And a long season it is...we'll go most every other Sunday all the way through Homestead on Nov. 16. We get off on March 23 for Easter (isn't that a little early for Easter?), April 20 (pothead break? 4/20?) and July 19. Other than that, it is straight racing all throughout the spring and summer.

What bothers me about the new NASCAR are the changes. I know one thing I don't like is the lack of dramatic crashes. Now, that's just a casual fan talking - but most people watch for this reason whether real fans like it or not. Restricter plate racing is so safe, that watching the marathons on the superspeedways really is rather boring except for the first few laps and the final laps. The in-between is filler, at least for me.

Another thing that made me want to put my fist through the wall is Fox's Gopher Cam. While the angle was pretty cool on a couple of occasions, they had this ridiculous animated gopher, which obviously was family-friendly. However, seeing Darrell Waltrip, a veteran of the sport have to goof around with some silly television executive's mandate was sad.

In addition, NASCAR is starting to be full of pretty boys. Whatever happened to the perceived dumb, good ole' Southern boys? Suddenly, everyone is cleaned up and they're preening before and after the races instead of getting all dirty. When Dale Earnhardt Sr. died, it was definitely the end of the era. Instead of lifers and southern boys like Morgan Shepherd, Mark Martin (although he still races), the Intimidator, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, etc. - the current era has pretty boys like Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman (Sunday's winner) and Carl Edwards. If you've seen the Claritin commercial with Edwards, you'll know what I mean. He looks like a Lacrosse player and not a stock car racer. Sickening.

That's why I cheer for Tony Stewart. While he is an Indiana boy and speaks English rather fluently and cleanly with no southern drawl, he is a throwback. He cuts people off, fights with fellow racers and has a generally poor disposition. That's what I like in my racers. While I don't condone tooling around in a Toyota which is what he is sporting these days, I like his attitude. He is from the old school and there are very few of him left in today's NASCAR.

I guess it is a big deal, as I went to check my Yahoo! e-mail and see the latest headlines. Of course, the proposed merger between Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines to make the largest airline company in the world was not the top story. Nor was the story about Fidel Castro stepping down highlighted up top, although it was the No. 1 headline under the 'In the News' area.

Nope - Dancing with the Stars has announced the newest contestants. Well, isn't that important?

Just in case you want to know, Carey Mahoney, a.k.a. Steve Guttenberg from Police Academy is one of the contestants. I also like Adam Carolla who is a comic and former 'Man Show' co-host with Jimmy Kimmel. He will be performing. I can't say I'll be watching and am just curious who does. Also, Jason Taylor (formerly?) of the Miami Dolphins is among the contestants. He's a pretty boy, so I can see that.

I guess this time around, the draw for male viewers is a lot better - as Shannon Elizabeth from American Pie - and Kristi Yamiguchi of ice skating fame - will also be among the contestants. That beats having to see Marie Osmond in my TV box again.

The most curious selection is Marlee Matlin, of Children of a Lesser God fame. I wonder if her partner will sign to her...might take points off for that.

I suppose if you look below, this would be my dream cast if I were ever to watch this show. However, I might tune in for the Marlee Matlin episode just out of morbid curiosity.